Vail Resorts to plow $13 million of improvements into Wilmot Mountain

Wilmot Mountain in January, when Vail Resorts announced it had purchased the Wisconsin ski facility. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Downhill skiing is rarely considered a perk of Midwest living, but Wilmot Mountain's new owner hopes $13 million in renovations will make southern Wisconsin's 1,000-foot peaks seem just a little grander.

Improvements at Wilmot will include new and refurbished lifts, a modernized lodge and increased snow-making capabilities, Colorado-based Vail Resorts announced Thursday. The renovations are expected to be finished by the start of the 2016-17 ski season.

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About 65 miles north of downtown Chicago, Wilmot was family-owned from its founding in 1938 until January, when Vail Resorts bought it for $20 million as part of an initiative to purchase ski areas close to major Midwestern cities.

Geoff Buchheister, vice president of urban ski areas for Vail Resorts, said Wilmot will see across-the-board upgrades to bring it in line with Vail's 10 other U.S. ski properties, which include iconic locations in Utah, Colorado and California.

"We're experts at this, and we've learned best practices across the company," Buchheister said. "We're focused on delivering the best experience to our guests."

Wilmot has long been more of a charming throwback, where flatlanders could learn to ski, than anything approximating the grandeur and professionalism of modern resorts out West. Equipment rentals at Wilmot could take hours on the busiest days, and the newest lift was added in 1978.

But this summer, seven of Wilmot's eight lifts will be replaced or refurbished, and the eighth will be removed. Despite one fewer lift, the lift capacity will increase 45 percent due to four-person lifts replacing two- and three-person versions, Buchheister said.

The lodge's Iron Kettle restaurant will be renovated with a new bar and lounge and will feature "an atmosphere where people want to hang out," Buchheister said, whether to relax between runs or for parents to watch their kids in ski school.

The most intriguing change might be the pass options that link Wilmot to other properties owned by or in partnerships with Vail Resorts. Lift ticket packages range from an $809 option granting unlimited access to 12 ski properties in the United States — including Wilmot — plus one each in Switzerland and Australia, to various packages priced between $399 and $609 for limited access to these same areas..

Getting Midwesterners to other Vail properties is the entire point of the company's urban ski initiative, Buchheister said. With ski and snowboard participation considered flat or declining (depending on the study), the race is on to attract new interest in snow sports. Investing in a small Midwestern ski area can both bring new people to the sport and offer a taste of what awaits at more iconic and expensive properties.

A season pass to Wilmot for the upcoming season will cost $379 through April 10. The starting price of a season pass last year was $370 and increased to $579 by the time the ski season began in late December.

Vail Resorts will host a community meeting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 16 at Wilmot's Iron Kettle restaurant to discuss the changes.